Learning The Ropes
by pureleaf
Summary: An intense and socially-awkward nineteen year old Vegeta experiences urges that prove to be overwhelming while on shore leave. Raditz shows him ways to deal with these urges as Vegeta tries to make sense of what's happening to him. Part comedy, part angst. In progress.
1. Chapter 1

Learning The Ropes by pureleaf

Chapter 1

(Author's Note: This first chapter is still a bit of a draft and will likely be fully updated in the future. Just putting this out there to see the response it may receive.

Ausadhi = Cannabis

I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT are all owned by Akira Toriyama blah blah support the official release blah blah blah)

It had scarcely been three hours since Vegeta, Raditz, and Nappa had returned to Frieza Planet 79 after completing their latest mission, and already the two eldest Saiyans were craving entertainment. After debriefing, exchanging their damaged uniforms for new clothing, and learning they were being allowed three weeks shore leave for a job well done, the trio were deciding what they should do with their free time.

"I don't know about you two, but a hot shower, a good meal, and some proper sleep in an actual bed are ranking high on my list of things to do this evening," Nappa suggested, "but if you want to go out and party, be my guest."

"It might be best that we don't raise hell in the entertainment district so soon after arriving home. Stay off the radar and give the poor bastards a day or two to prepare for us! Right now I'm just hungry as a motherfucker!" Raditz laughed and absentmindedly pushed his thick mane of hair away from his eyes.

"Then it's decided- we go home and stay there tonight. I'm feeling the need to catch up on sleep as well. Just call in for something to eat- there's no sense in wasting time trying to pick up anything other than some liquor and _Ausadhi_."

"I stocked up on both of those things before we took off. Nothing like getting drunk after one of those long distance missions..." Raditz trailed off into a yawn and stretched his arms over his head as they made their way through the elegant lobby of the massive apartment complex attached to the planet's base.

As higher-ranking soldiers in Frieza's army, they were given a fairly large and modern three bedroom apartment, professionally maintained and stocked by deliberately unobtrusive slaves. Having not been home for four months, they were pleasantly surprised to see that the apartment had been cleaned and aired out prior to their arrival.

Raditz and Nappa wasted no time uncorking several bottles of wine and liquor, set out tall water-pipes and dried _Ausadhi _mixtures_, _and calling out for a literal feast of fresh meat and fruit to be delivered to their door. The glitchy, bass-heavy music favoured by Raditz began to pound through wall-mounted speakers, much to the ire of youngest Saiyan. The two older Saiyans had an insatiable appetite for partying and would indulge whenever on leave. Although Vegeta was developing a taste for wine and fondness for _Ausadhi_, he preferred to drink and smoke just enough to feel the pleasurable effects while watching his comrades obliterate themselves over the course of an evening.

Vegeta wanted nothing more than to fill his stomach with good food and wine, to soak in a hot bath, and to retreat to his bedroom so he could take care of the persistent urges that filled his waking hours and crept into his dreams. So frequent and intense was the need to arouse these erotic sensations that Vegeta had started to touch himself while travelling in his pod. It was only during travel that he was truly alone, something he treasured more with each passing year. Only once had he made the mistake of not making certain all communication lines had been severed before touching himself, and Vegeta only became aware of his error after Raditz began to laugh uncontrollably mere seconds after he had reached climax.

Naturally, Raditz never let the incident go and would pepper Vegeta with questions about how frequently he masturbated and how he did it until Vegeta would lose his temper, and Nappa would be forced to intervene. Secretly, Vegeta was relieved when Nappa brushed the incident off as an "honest mistake" and said it was only natural for the nineteen year old to be experiencing sexual urges.

When the food arrived, the three men wasted no time in tearing into the spread of roasted meats and fresh fruits they had so missed while on their last mission. Nobody spoke but all three allowed their tails to unfurl and thump against the floor in satisfaction.

"Vegeta," Nappa passed a generous segment of a fragrant, orange-fleshed fruit to the young prince, "I know you like _mamidi_."

Vegeta took the segment wordlessly, and became wrapped up in the thoughts on how much he loved the creamy, sweet flesh of the fruit on his tongue. He had started to notice his sense of smell and sense of touch sharpening around the same time the urges had become persistent and impossible to ignore, and things like the taste of perfectly ripe _mamidi_, the feel of warm water as he sunk into a bath, or how the smell of sweat took on a new, at times overwhelmingly _sensual _quality.

After an hour and two large glasses of wine, the buzz was taking over and Vegeta's mood had mellowed considerably. The men took turns smoking a mixture of sweet herbs and _Ausadhi_ from a water-pipe and the conversation became easier, looser, and friendlier. The elder Saiyans had removed their armor and boots, although Nappa had changed into a loose shirt and pants while Raditz remained in his high-cut shorts, ever proud of his powerful body. Vegeta, however, had only removed his armour and gloves.

"What say we pick up more food tomorrow during the day, and go out drinking tomorrow night?" Nappa exhaled lungfuls of grey-blue smoke and leaned back in his large chair.

"Sounds like a good idea. We'll all be hungry tomorrow, so let's try and get to the markets sooner rather than later." Vegeta emptied the bottle of wine he'd been drinking into his glass.

"There's some stupid movie about gigantic transforming robots or something dumb like that playing at the entertainment complex for the next week or so; I heard over the communication line that it's total shit but good for a few cheap laughs. Y'wanna go see that?" Raditz was almost through his second bottle of wine, and his speech was just starting to slur.

"Eloquent as always, Raditz. When did you hear about this gem?" Vegeta couldn't help but look over Raditz as he questioned the older man, feeling a tingle deep in his lower abdomen when he took in that incredible body and the man's handsome features.

"Ehh, I picked it up after coming out of Hypersleep to review the mission and set language parameters... probably two weeks into the journey, I think? Don't you ever listen to the random bullshit people talk about, Vegeta? Some of the stuff y'pick up is absolutely hilarious!"

"Raditz, unlike you, I don't feel the need to listen in on some morons located at the other end of the galaxy. I keep my communicator shut off during travel."

"Except for that one time you wanted to make Nappa and I listen to you have an orgasm..."

"Fuck you, Raditz." Vegeta rose from his seat, glass of wine in hand, and stormed down the hallway to his bedroom.

"Is that a promise?" Raditz called after the younger Saiyan before dissolving into drunken peals of laughter.

Vegeta turned the hot water tap on full blast, let the deep bathtub fill just over halfway before adding cold, and once the water was tolerable, he sunk the water and sighed contentedly. Able to relax and be alone with his thoughts, he allowed his tail to uncurl from around his waist and let his body just hang in the warm water.

Still riding high on the herbs and alcohol, Vegeta found himself very aware how the smallest of movements affected the motion of the water. He brought his fingers to just below the surface of the water and flexed them, watching the small ripples with a hint of a smile spreading on his face. He continued to drag his right hand through the water and brushed against the thatch of dark pubic hair that was finally starting to become coarse.

His cock twitched, and he let his fingertips brush against the growing erection. The twinge deep in his belly returned with a vengeance, and when he pulled back his foreskin the heat of the bathwater against the sensitive head of his cock was enough to make the prince hiss and curl his toes.

He began to think about Raditz: lounging on the couch in nothing but those tight shorts that hugged his firm, round ass, his thick thighs, his huge mane of hair, his deep complexion, that unbelievable confidence... that raw sexuality he brandished...

Experimentally, Vegeta let his left hand reach between his spread legs and pushed his index finger into his rectum. He wasn't expecting the sudden orgasm that ripped through him and dragged a startled, deep moan from somewhere in his chest, and when he finally came down he was left trembling in the bathwater.

Heavy bass continued to throb from the living room. They couldn't have heard him, Vegeta decided, and he pushed himself out of the water and pulled on his robe, dripping wet and flushed from both his orgasm and the hot bathwater.

Vegeta strode into the kitchen, fetched a large bottle of water and piece of fruit from the refrigerator, and caught a glance of Raditz and Nappa still sprawled out on the living room furniture, drinking liquor, their speech slurred and nonsensical.

"You'd better both be useful when I wake up! And turn down that crap blaring through the speakers!" Vegeta turned on his heel and went into his dim bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Learning The Ropes by pureleaf

Chapter 2

Warnings: profanity, drug/alcohol consumption, sexual content

Rating: M

Author Notes: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate your comments and constructive criticism and hope you'll continue reading.

Disclaimer: The following is a fanfiction and I am not making any money off this please don't sue I only have enough money for beer blah blah blah DB/DBZ/DBGT is owned by Akira Toriyami blah blah blah support the official release.

* * *

The curtains drew back automatically as the sun rose on Planet 79, illuminating Vegeta's spacious bedroom and making the young prince roll over in his wide bed. After several minutes, he stretched and rose, arching his back and rising on the balls of his feet with his tail flicking back and forth like a whip as his eyes adjusted to the warm light coming in through the high windows.

He padded across the exotic hardwood floor and into his en-suite bathroom, gazed at his sleepy reflection in the mirror, and frowned as he moved closer to mirror to inspect his receding hairline. "Guess I really am maturing, then... hopefully I'll have at least one more growth spurt..." he sighed and tried to suppress the gnawing worry that he wouldn't exceed 160 centimetres in height. Vegeta knew that it was fully possible he would always be slight, slender, and flexible like his mother, yet he still wished to become as tall and powerful as he could recall his father being.

After a brief, hot shower and changing into clean clothing and armour, the young Saiyan wandered past Nappa and Raditz' bedrooms and into the kitchen. The counters were littered with empty bottles, half-chewed animal bones, fruit peels, and cold ashes from the water pipes. Vegeta sneered in revulsion and wondered if _any _food was left.

"Disgusting roommates..." Vegeta muttered and poked his head in the refrigerator, finding a few leftover scraps of a fried bird and pieces of _mamidi_. He went into the connected living room with this light breakfast and ate while watching the daily news program on the the large screen television mounted to the wall.

Nappa came into the kitchen dressed in shorts and an old shirt and laughed at the mess on the countertops. "I don't remember drinking this much! Hell, I barely remember getting into my bed! Hey, Vegeta, did you get some rest? You seemed pretty pissed off last night." He started searching for food.

The memory of Raditz suggesting Vegeta had wanted his comrades to overhear him having an intimate moment came flooding back, and the young Saiyan could barely hold back his simmering anger. "That's because Raditz is _murkha _and can't keep his nose out of my business."

"Is this about that whole 'you-were-masturbating-and-we-overheard-it' thing again? Raditz knows that bringing it up gets under your skin which is why he keeps doing it! He's trying to get a rise out of you!"

Sometimes Nappa made a lot of sense, thought Vegeta, maybe he's right about this...

"Whatever. When do you think he'll be up?"

As if on cue, Raditz came shuffling into the kitchen, bleary eyes barely open, still clad in tight shorts and nothing else. His hair was becoming a snarled, tangled mess. "_Uugh_."

"Y'alright, Raditz?" Nappa tossed a bottle of water to the tall man and went back to looking through the refrigerator and pantries for any food available.

"_Nnngh_ ." He uncapped the bottle of water and let himself drop onto the couch next to Vegeta. "How much did we drink last night? That fourth bottle of wine and then the whisky..."

"I think we drank all the whisky..."

"Can you two stop talking about how much alcohol you consumed? We really should visit the market as soon as possible; there's no fresh food, I'm hungry, and this place is disgusting. I say we go to the market to pick up what we need, eat something proper, and go train later in the afternoon. We can call for housekeepers to clean this place up..."

"Vegeta, no," Raditz croaked. "You two can go. I'm too hung over right now, and I can't even find my hair pick."

"Good," Vegeta rose from the couch and put his empty plate atop the pile collecting in the sink, "Nappa, you have half an hour to get your shit together. Raditz, make sure this place is clean by the time we return."

* * *

The market was bustling with vendors hailing from halfway across the galaxy, citizens on their way to work or on their way home, soldiers on leave, and Frieza's secret police.

"We need fruit, meat, greens, seeds, spices, liquor, beer, herbs, Ausadh-"

"I thought Raditz picked some u- really, Nappa? Already? You two went through that much in one night?"

"We did. Does it matter, though? We can get more and we have plenty of money to burn through. You should hang out a bit more and relax, Vegeta! You can't always spend your time on leave locked in a training facility, you gotta let loose and have some fun! Raditz and I went out partying every night when he was your age."

"That would have made me eleven or twelve, correct?"

"Right. And _you are_ always training when on leave... we barely saw you, it seemed."

"There's nothing wrong with having a routine training schedule! You two were always passed out for half the day anyway, you know? Not like we could have socialized anyway... it always looked awful and smelled even worse..."

"Whatever you say, boss..." Nappa laughed and clapped the prince on the back.

After two hours of checking out different stalls and storefronts, haggling, sampling, and genuinely enjoying themselves, both Saiyans were carrying heavy loads and decided it was best to head back to the apartment.

The apartment had been cleaned and Raditz was sitting crosslegged on the couch, gently combing sections of his thick hair using a metal hair pick. The television had been switched to a program about how space pods were developed and continually improved, but it was apparent that it was only meant to serve as background noise.

"Looks like you two didn't skimp, huh?" He set down the comb and strode into the kitchen, peering into bags and poking packages wrapped in brown paper.

"We'll be set for a day or two. Gentlemen, I say we resume drinking!" Nappa pulled large bottles of beer from a canvas sack and twisted the caps off three, passing them to both his comrades.

"Cheers to that!" Raditz raised his bottle in a toast.

"Cheers!" Vegeta raised his bottle and took a generous sip of beer.

_Nappa might be right about my behaviour,_ he thought, _maybe I need to relax a bit more and have some fun. For all I know, I could be dead a month from now..._

Prior to their last mission, Raditz had spent some of his money on a gaming system capable of handling up to four players at a time. Nappa had little interest in actually playing the game (he found the controllers too difficult to handle with his massive hands) but was content to watch the younger Saiyans play a racing game against each other, while trading insults designed to break the recipient's concentration. At some point, Vegeta bested Raditz' insults by referring to him as a "bloated bag of bloody douche solution" and both had to pause the game.

"That's the most retarded insult I've ever heard! Oh man! What does that even mean?" Raditz' wiped tears from the corners of his eyes when he'd finally calmed down.

"I don't know, it just sounds funny!"

"Wow, Vegeta... alright, I have an idea. I'm gonna call my lady-friend to help me out with this bitch of a mat in my hair, and we might fool around for a while in my room, and then we should think about seeing a movie or getting drunk..."

"Or both," Vegeta suggested, shutting off the game system and returning the controllers to their stand.

"Did Vegeta just suggest we all hang out and actually have fun, or am I really stoned?"

* * *

"_Super Alien Fighting Robots Part 2: The Reckoning_ ? Are you serious with this shit, Raditz?" Vegeta stared in disgust at the neon poster displayed on the tall screens outside Planet 79's Entertainment Complex.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Raditz purred, letting one hand lightly stroke Vegeta's bicep. The simple touch was enough to send one of those sparks down Vegeta's spine and into that deep spot in his belly, and if it weren't for the planet's warm climate he would have shivered.

"Oh, fine. You two seem dead-set on seeing this crap anyway..."

The three took seats towards the back of the theatre, requiring more space to accommodate their long legs, and so they could indulge in a running commentary for the duration of the film.

The lights dimmed. The screen flickered, and the opening credits started to roll. Vegeta wasn't prepared for Raditz to grasp his left hand and guide it towards the large Saiyan's stomach, dragging it down towards his crotch... under the waistband of his shorts... Vegeta was speechless as his fingers were around Raditz' erection, hot and heavy and _so real _at that moment. The skin was soft and silky against his bare hands. Curly pubic hair brushed against his wrist. The prince remained still, unsure how to react or what to do.

"I want to fuck you, your highness." Raditz leaned towards Vegeta and whispered in his ear, his full lips brushing against the shell of his target's ear.

* * *

"That was the stupidest fuckin' movie I've ever seen in my whole entire life! Raditz, you aren't allowed to pick the next three movies just for making me sit through that shit!" Vegeta slammed his huge mug of beer on the worn wooden table and shook his head at the mere memory of what he'd just watched. He had tried to concentrate on the awful film, hoping it would suppress his arousal and need to relieve that strange urge he couldn't shake. By the end of the movie, he was grateful for the opportunity to get fresh air and move onto a popular bar that carried a huge variety of alcohol and usually played great music.

"I'unno, 'geta, I kinda liked it! There wasn't a lot of plot and the dialogue was bad, but those robots were entertaining! And there were tits! You know what, I liked that movie! Raditz gets to pick the next three movies!" Nappa was on his second beer and a flush was spreading across his cheeks.

"That's because you love pointless explosions and destruction..." Vegeta took another long sip of the icy cold brew and welcomed the buzz he was starting to feel.

"Pot, have we met? My name is kettle..."

"Touche, Nappa."

"Oh, I love this song! Gotta dance!" The music pulsing through the smoky air had Raditz rocking in his seat, soon moving vigorously enough to slide out of the booth they'd taken and onto the dancefloor.

Raditz was a talented dancer, Vegeta realized, as he watched the huge man move in the crowd of bodies, he knew how to use his body and it was impossible to look away. It wasn't long before he was dancing with a group of men and woman, spending just enough time to get each one excited before he'd go to the next person.

_I like to do the things you like to do too_

_I want to do the things you want to do too_

_Push push push pu-push push_

_Push push push pu-push push_

_I like to do the things you like to do too_

_I want to do the things you want to do too_

Vegeta rose from the booth and moved to the dance-floor. He hadn't expected Raditz to grab him so suddenly and found his hips pressed against Raditz', but quickly learned the easiest way to dance to this sensual music was to simply let his body do what felt right, rather than refer to any traditional dance steps he may have learned as a young boy, and was soon lost in the music.

He could feel Raditz' huge erection grinding against his backside, and it was almost too much for the prince to bear. The pulse down his spine and into his pelvis was constant now, and he knew there was no way he could possibly relieve this feeling on his own.

"_Yoka vidaledu, Raditz... praivet lo..._"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Chapter 3- Part 1

Learning The Ropes by pureleaf

Chapter 3, Part 1

Rating: M

Pairing: Raditz x Vegeta

Warnings: sexual content, drug/alcohol use, profanity

Author Notes: Thanks for the love. Feel free to comment/critique, it is always appreciated.

* * *

By law, no member of the Planet Trade Organization was permitted to fly within urban areas on Planet 79 unless they received explicit permission from Frieza. One reason was to reduce the possibility of midair collisions, the other to encourage the use of taxi services.

Vegeta wanted to go home and Raditz was more than happy to oblige. They escaped the air conditioned bar through a side door and stumbled into the night. It had started raining, and the spike in humidity combined with the hot air turned the streets into a steamy neon maze teeming with soldiers looking for a good time, nightclub promoters calling out to passerby in a dozen different languages, food vendors, buskers, prostitutes, drug dealers, and the occasional "peace officer".

"Nappa," Raditz spoke to his older comrade through his scouter, "do me a solid favour and don't come home for a few more hours... yeah, he's with me... I think so... I don't know... why would that ma- I don't ge-ohhhh... you can bring home whomever you like when you get back, it's cool... that's probably a good idea...bring home something tasty!... HA! Who said I was talking about food? ...right. Later!"

They hailed a night taxi. Written in 16 different languages on a placard were the rules for riding in the cab: no vomiting; no sexual activity; weapons must remain holstered at all times; no verbal or physical intimidation of drivers; no smoking; no consumption of liquids or foods; absolutely no transportation of dead game.

"Where to, gentlemen?" A slender, blue skinned man with four arms and six eyes looked over his two passengers and briefly lowered his head as a sign of respect.

"Sarnai Towers," Raditz pressed several crystals into the driver's thick palm, "maybe we could negotiate for some privacy, my friend..."

"I thank you for your generosity, Sir. I'll roll up the privacy glass and shall simply knock when we've arrived at your final destination. Good evening, gentlemen."

The cab began to vibrate with a percussive music, the bass turned high. A thick pane of black glass rose from the driver's seat and isolated his passengers. With nobody able to see, Raditz pulled Vegeta to his chest and ran the tip of his tongue down the younger man's throat before experimentally kissing his collarbone and running a hand through the Prince's wild hair.

"You're getting all hot, aren't you?"

"I have been since the theatre..."

Raditz only chuckled and began to stroke the base of Vegeta's tail as lightly as he could manage, eliciting a low groan and an involuntary roll of the hips. Just as he had two fingers hooked under the waistband of the young man's trousers, the driver knocked on the glass.

"Come on," Raditz kissed Vegeta's neck, "let's get inside."

_...did he just say what I think he said? _

* * *

Raditz' bedroom was just has large as Vegeta's, but it was always messy and the blinds were frequently kept half-drawn for days or weeks at a time. The top of older Saiyan's wardrobe was cluttered with old scouters and electronic gadgets he enjoyed modifying, empty liquor bottles, a water-pipe, a hideous lamp that shone pulsing multicoloured dots across the walls, and a monstrous set of speakers rewired to connect with a dock for a high-capacity music disc. There were tiny white lights strung along the ceiling, and the pot-lights were switched off. The room smelled like the spicy herb-infused oil Raditz used to moisturize his tanned skin, stale smoke, and a subtle musk Vegeta couldn't identify.

The bed was lower to the floor than Vegeta's, dressed in maroon sheets, soft black throws, and five different pillows. The big man favoured a firm, springy mattress to support his weight.

"I want more beer," Raditz pulled off his black tee and formfitting shorts, marching back to the kitchen in nothing but his underwear. He returned with four bottles and a package of _Ausadhi_. "You should get more comfortable, your Highness..."

_Take off your clothes_, _he wants to fool around._

He kicked off his boots and pulled off his spandex top and pants, down to his underwear and wondering if he should remove them as well. His tail was shuddering and thrashed from side to side erratically.

"Eager, eager! Just relax for now. Here," he passed a bottle of beer to the younger man, "we need to talk before we do anything."

"What? Don't you just... you know... get to it?" Vegeta took a long sip of beer, hoping to regain his composure. Liquid courage, he thought, don't fail me now...

"Huh- I guess Nappa wasn't joking when he said you were a virg-"

"He said what?!"

"Nappa told me you're a virgin, Vegeta. As in you've never had sex with anyb-"

"I know what it means to be a virgin, Raditz! I'm not a moron! And so what if I am?"

"It's not a bad thing, kid! Just... maybe you're a bit of a late bloomer, that's all. Did your, uh, _urges_ just start recently? Or have you been experienced these feelings in the past?"

"It's been happening since I was seventeen," Vegeta said in a very soft voice, "but I could just ignore it until around six months ago..."

"Two years? You must have some incredible discipline if you haven't slept with anybody yet. I started feeling the urges when I was sixteen and stopped at the first brothel I could find on Planet 79. It's crucial you know now that these, uh, "urges" are going to occur on a regular basis for the rest of your life, and they're also going to grow more intense as you continue to mature. I was pretty small when I was nineteen too, you know."

"Stop making fun of me, Raditz!"

"I'm not! Gods, you can be so defensive... I don't know if I've ever been with a virgin before..."

"Raditz, stop."

"Okay, okay," he peeled off his underwear, "I'm just kidding around. Mostly."

_Oh god damn it Raditz just-_

Vegeta was not a man typically shocked by nudity. He'd seen countless nude soldiers and strangers and corpses in his lifetime, and he'd seen his comrades lounge in the apartment wearing nothing at all, but seeing Raditz right beside him with an erection and lazy smirk on his face was an entirely new experience. He wasn't expecting Raditz to grab his hips and pull him on top so he was straddling the big man's stomach, or to take the liberty of removing his underwear and toss the aside, landing somewhere in a pile of towels and dirty laundry.

"You've got a great body, Vegeta. I mean it. You're amazing when you fight..."

"It's because I train more than I party..."

"I bet you're gonna wind up fucking the same way you fight, kid..."

"How's that?" Vegeta daringly ground against the older man's erection.

"Enthusiastically... skillfully... frequently... hopefully not as, uh, _violently_..." Raditz' voice dropped into a worried tone and his hands began to focus on the younger Saiyan's erection, calloused fingers stroking up and down the shaft and thumb rubbing small, firm circles into the glans already weeping precum.

Whatever response Vegeta had thought of was lost as he approached orgasm faster than ever before; coming before he wanted to with his head thrown back and mouth open in a moan that his vocal folds forgot to produce. He bucked his hips and his slim thighs shook and nearly fell onto Raditz' chest once it was over.

"Fuck... oh fuck..." he panted, "thought I'd last longer than that..."

Strong fingers traced up his spine and worked through his thick hair. Slow kisses on his shoulders.

"Who said I was gonna let you come only once, your Highness?"

**TO BE CONTINUED **


	4. Chapter 3- Part 2

Learning The Ropes Chapter 3, part 2

Rating: M

Pairing: Vegeta x Raditz

warnings: foul language, sexuality, mentions of drug/alcohol consumption.

Author's Note: I took a while to post this because I was unsure if this story was just meant to be straight up smut or also comedy. (Then again I'm not funny...)

* * *

"It only seems fair that I return the favour, Raditz," Vegeta leaned back on Raditz' bent legs and teasingly ground against his erection again.

"Oh? A considerate partner, are we? Well…"

"I'll suck your cock."

The prince's serious tone was enough to make Raditz' cock twitch with excitement. He slowly lowered his legs and Vegeta gracefully lowered himself from the bed so he was kneeling on the floor with the side of the mattress against his chest and his forearms resting on the top. "Come here…"

There was a moment's hesitation on Vegeta's part when he realized that ___everything_ about Raditz was big. ___It's sink or swim_, he thought, brought the head of Raditz' cock into his mouth. Internally he worried about his teeth grazing against the erection and tried his best to keep his jaw and tongue relaxed. He tried to bring more in.

He coughed and pulled back.

Leaning back on his elbows, Raditz shot Vegeta a small smile. "Try to keep breathing through your nose and don't worry about trying to recreate anything you may have seen in one of those nasty videos everybody shares through the scouter system. Focus more on the head, alright?"

"Yeah," Vegeta cleared his throat and brought his head between Raditz' thighs again. He figured using his tongue and lips on the head would be worth a shot and ran his tongue in circles along the head before firmly sucking it. Above, Raditz' breathing changed and he let more weight sink into his elbows. It wasn't bad, he thought, for somebody who'd been quite closed about sexuality until very recently.

A minute later and Vegeta had figured he could take the first three inches in his mouth while stroking Raditz' cock with his hands. He tried not to over-think what he was doing and didn't try to go too fast.

___I can see the appeal in this…_

"You caught on fast, your Highness. Don't stop…" Raditz' breathing was deep and quickening, he let out one shuddering moan and threw his head back, "f-fuuuck! Keep going!"

Vegeta expected Raditz to ejaculate and urged himself to just swallow and not think about it. It wasn't unbearable, he decided, just salty and a bit bitter. Once Raditz' breathing had slowed, Vegeta pulled away and rose to his feet.

"And how was that?"

Raditz was on his back, arms stretched out at his sides. "Not bad at all…"

"Well, good. It just goes to show even naive little Prince Vegeta can surprise you in ways you didn't expect! We can find out how I am at riding your cock when we get back," Vegeta performed his usual turn and strode out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

"What a piece of work…" Raditz laughed and pushed a few stray hairs from his brow.

Several minutes later Vegeta returned with two bottles of water and a container of soft-fleshed, sticky drupes. "I'm hungry."

Raditz was sprawled across his bed, eyes shut and lips curled in a satisfied smirk. The younger man sat at the edge of the bed and placed his hand across the man's thick ankle, shaking his leg gently. "Hey. Raditz."

A loud snore.

"Raditzzzz…"

No response. He turned on his side and his knees rose slightly towards his chest. His long tail was relaxed and the tip flicked gently. Vegeta's mouth hung open in disbelief and he continued to silently watch the man for several minutes. Raditz really was asleep and it ___wasn't_ one of his pranks.

"You dick!" Vegeta hissed. He opened one bottle of water and placed it on its side inches away from Raditz' back. A huge dark patch spread across Raditz' sheets and mattress as they became soaked with cold water.

He left with the other bottle of water and the drupes.

* * *

The next morning, Vegeta awoke early and decided he ___absolutely must_ train; he'd wasted too much time being under the influence and being disappointed by his comrade. He dressed in a sleeveless blue jumpsuit, a light pair of boots made from a soft leather, and lightweight armour that only offered protection to his torso.

Typically the earliest to rise, Nappa was already seated at the small kitchen table with his breakfast when Vegeta came into the room.

"Well… how'd things go? Vegeta?"

The young prince scowled and focused his attention on the contents of the refrigerator. A small bottle of a creamy, sweet, highly nutritious drink favoured by the very athletic soldiers would suffice. Despite his mounting frustration and desire to leave the apartment, Vegeta dropped into the chair across from Nappa and took a swig of the drink.

"Raditz is a stupid, selfish fuck. Take that as literally as you like, Nappa."

"I guess that means things didn't go you'd imagined they would?"

"He passed out after having one orgasm. Who does that?!" Vegeta took another gulp. The bottle was almost empty.

Nappa tried not to laugh. "It happens… more frequently than you might imagine. Don't be too upset over it."

One more sip at the bottle was empty. Vegeta's stomach stopped aching from hunger and he knew there was only about four hours before food would dominate his thoughts once more. He rose from his seat, raised his hands skyward and stretched. "It's kind of hard not to be…"

A startled yelp came from down the hallway, followed by a disgusted gurgle and a groggy voice calling out to nobody in particular: "why is my bed all wet?"

"Nappa, I'm no longer upset."

* * *

Vegeta returned from his long training session to find Nappa had gone out and Raditz was in his usual spot on the living room couch, watching the midday news, halfway through a cardboard takeout container filled with an assortment of heavily seasoned, deep fried vegetables and insects.

"Hey! How'd your training session go?"

"Passable." Vegeta went into the kitchen and began to pull an assortment of food from the refrigerator. The drawers were filled with ___mitha-nibu_, ___mamidi_, berries and cans of liquid extracted from a large seed that was imported into Planet 79, popularly referred to as "sweet water". He loaded a plate with cold grilled fish and fruit and nuts, and the prince began eating while standing at the counter.

"Do you want me to groom your hair when I'm finished eating?"

The young prince felt his face grow hot.

"No."

"Oh, come on. Look, I'm sorry about last night. I was really hung over and the day-drinking and the ___Ausadhi_ combined with everything else caught up with me. The ___last _thing I wanted to do was pass out! You said you were going to ride my cock and I was looking forward to that!"

"Fuck off, Raditz."

"You know," Raditz rose from the couch and stormed over to Vegeta, still holding his takeout container, "I'm being ___really cool_ with you given that you dumped a bunch of water on my bed! My fucking mattress is still damp!"

"Good." Vegeta left the kitchen and made certain to lock his bedroom door.


	5. Chapter 4- Part 1

Learning The Ropes by pureleaf

Chapter 4 (part 1 of 2)

Pairing: Raditz x Vegeta

Warnings: profanity, drug use, sexuality

* * *

For the following three days, Vegeta immersed himself in his training. He spent hours in the training complex; running on a track, swimming, lifting weights, attending the popular self-defence and drills classes, and participating in a game called "breakball" that involved launching a very heavy rubber ball with a solid core over a tall net at an opposing team and attempting to strike an opposing team member. If a team member was stuck, they were eliminated from the game. Severe bruising, broken bones, and internal injuries were common. Vegeta excelled at the game and revelled in injuring an opponent.

Before his last mission he'd started a new form of exercise that proved itself to be deceptively hard: an hour of gentle, smooth movements that relied heavily on core strength, excellent posture, and superb balance. Vegeta had gone to the first session thinking he'd breeze through the hour and find the whole thing a waste of time, but instead discovered he could do so much more to improve his balance and strength that he signed up for private classes with an instructor.

He'd been looking forward to his late-afternoon class with his instructor. She was soft-spoken, quietly encouraging, and didn't seem the least bit concerned with brawn or displays of power. That wasn't to say Vegeta hadn't heard rumours that she possessed powerful psychic abilities, and he did not doubt the possibility that she was secretly a worthy opponent for any first class soldier.

"Vegeta! I was wondering when I'd see you! When did you get back?" A very tall, slender woman with silver skin and white hair pulled in a bun rose from a desk at the gym's entrance and beamed at her client. He could be terribly brusque, but his determination to improve himself was impressive.

"A few days ago, but I wasted time hanging around with my idiot comrades. It's good to see you, Endzela. I missed your classes, and I'm more than ready to get to work."

Endzela chuckled at her client's tenacity. "Of course you are. Get down to those blue leggings you seem to like so much and we'll get to work!"

She took him into a large, hot room with smooth cool floors and mirrors along three walls. There were bars set into the mirrors that came just above Vegeta's hips, and a small selection of equipment used in the exercise class. They began with gentle stretching that became progressively deeper and more difficult before moving into a series of slow, powerful movements that didn't seem to tax Endzela but left Vegeta sweating and muttering curses under his breath.

"Your hips seem a bit tight," Endzela mentioned as she assisted Vegeta into a position that forced him to wring his abdomen like a wet rag and open his chest and sink his body weight into his heels, "did you have to take a long-haul journey on your last mission?"

"Yeah," he hissed, sweat dripping from his forehead and onto the foam mat beneath his bare feet, "maybe we should have stopped to stretch once or twice?"

"I think so. I don't like traveling in a pod because it's so cramped. Try to get out once or twice the next time you're doing a long-haul. Good… inhale, exhale slowly… draw your navel to your spine… two more breaths… excellent work as always, Vegeta. Don't be too surprised if you're feeling a bit sore tonight."

"I'll be feeling this before tonight, that's for sure." Vegeta returned to the neutral position (spine erect, shoulders back, chest out and arms relaxed at the sides) I don't get it, Endzela- running around a track or lifting weights have their benefits and they're alright, but your classes are truly challenging. How is that?"

"Sometimes the smallest movements, the ones that force us to be aware of our bodies, movement that relies on endurance rather than speed… they can be the most taxing. Unfortunately, I need to get ready to teach another class. It's such a shame that those Ginyu guys don't take the class as seriously as you do, Vegeta…"

* * *

By early evening Vegeta was very sore. His abdomen was sore. His hips were sore. His upper back hurt and his arms were threatening to be stiff the next morning. Nappa had been leaving the apartment as Vegeta was returning home, literally carrying a curvaceous woman wearing too much perfume and very little clothing in his arms.

"Hey, Vegeta! This is Anis. She's a special friend I haven't seen in far too long, so we're going out dancing and drinking and who knows what else. Raditz said he's staying in, just a heads up."

"Hi, Vegeta! Come and party with us! Oh, I've never done it with two Saiyans at the same time…" the woman drifted off into drunken giggling and reached up to stroke Nappa's moustache. The big man just grinned stupidly.

"Ew! You're both disgusting!" Vegeta swiped his key in the card reader and stormed inside when he heard the lock click open.

Raditz was seated cross-legged on the couch with two bottles of beer and loaded waterpipe set up on the glass table nearby.

"Nappa's going out and probably won't be back until morning. I was just going to get drunk and watch movies. You're free to join me, if you like. I'm not certain if you've fully recovered from your little snit yet…"

"Did you see that broad? She was talking to Nappa about being fucked by two Saiyans at the same time out in the hallway! How vulgar!" Vegeta pulled off his light armour, gloves, and boots. He strode into the kitchen and took a can of sweet water from the refrigerator.

Raditz brought the water pipe into his lap and nodded as he brought a lighter to the contents of the bowl. He took one particularly large hit, exhaled lungfuls of thick smoke, and cleared his throat. "Oh yeah, Anis. They fucked at least twice when you were out and I ___did not _need walk into the kitchen when Nappa was banging her on table. She and Nappa have been fuck buddies for ages. They're both morons, so it's no wonder they get along. Sit down, Vegeta," the big Saiyan started to add more herb to the bowl, "have a hit."

Vegeta hissed as he sat down. Everything ached and the young Saiyan let his tail loosen from around his waist in hopes his muscles would start to relax.

"Playing breakball again?"

"No, that was yesterday… but that fuckhead Cui was on the opposing team, so I nailed him in the groin. He threw up, and I laughed. It was a great game."

"Atta boy," Raditz placed the waterpipe in Vegeta's lap, "so what has you hurting so bad? Was it another one of those classes where you just move around all slow like?"

"The activity you refer to as "move around all slow like" is just what you do every morning you're hung over, and it's offered most mornings we're on leave. The class I'm taking is one that improves balance and core strength. It relies heavily on using your own body weight as resistance. The idea that I can do so well in breakball but sweat through a hour of stretching and such slow movement concerns me. I could be so much stro-"

"Shut up and hit it, Vegeta."

He didn't argue. As he was exhaling, Raditz looked down Vegeta's slim frame and shrugged. "Do you notice any improvements?"

"Yes, actually. Increased flexibility in the hips, although those long-haul journeys in pod aren't doing any good," Vegeta coughed and passed the water pipe back, "even the Ginyus take the class, although I've heard they're pretty shit, so…"

"The Ginyus are shit," Raditz sneered, "except for Burter. He's played breakball with me a few times and that sonuvabitch is ___fast_."

"Fastesth in da universth…" Vegeta lisped.

"That's uncalled for!" Raditz laughed and opened his bottle of beer. "But seriously, what benefits are there to what sounds like such a boring class? Just how flexible are you?"

"I can bring my knees to my ears," offered Vegeta, "so there's that…"

Quietly, the taller Saiyan put his beer back on the table and his lips curled into a wicked smile. "I want to see proof that you're as flexible as you claim."

"Should I demonstrate clothed or demonstrate nude?"

* * *

They wound up in Raditz' bedroom again. The older Saiyan had taken some time to clean up, Vegeta noticed, and his bedsheets were fresh. Music turned on and the volume was adjusted to a reasonable volume, and as background noise Vegeta found he could tolerate his comrade's strange tastes in music. He pulled off his shirt as he moved to Raditz' bed and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his formfitting leggings, turning his hips in figure-eights as he pushed the tight fabric down his backside and muscular thighs. When the material reached his knees, he eased himself onto Raditz' bed and kept his legs up and spread wide as he laid on his back.

"Fucking hell," Raditz laughed and tore away the younger Saiyan's pants and knelt on the mattress, "you've even got your feet arched. Flexible kid…" he guided Vegeta's legs so his calves were resting on Raditz' broad shoulders.

The older Saiyan was so tall that Vegeta was almost upsidedown, supporting his weight with his forearms digging into the mattress and looking up into his huge partner's glimmering, mischievous eyes. Raditz took two of his fingers into his mouth and slicked them with saliva before pushing them into the younger Saiyan's tight asshole.

Vegeta couldn't hold back his shocked wail and immediate groan of unsettling pleasure mixed with pain as Raditz thick fingers brushed against something inside that threatened to bring him closer to orgasm long before he even was ready to come. His tail shuddered and thumped against the mattress, the fur fuzzed out as he processed the shock and tried to regain that firm sense of control he always refused to relinquish.

"Try to relax… I'll hit that spot again if you like…"

"Slow… go slow and small movements against it… hnnn…" Vegeta arched his back his eyes fluttered shut in pure pleasure.

Raditz took Vegeta's cock and began sucking on the head. He continued finger-fucking his younger partner and rubbed small circles into that sweet spot, reducing Vegeta to a trembling, lean line, his hips rolling and that tight tension building up in him all too quickly. He tried to keep his breathing steady and deep and concentrated only on how his body felt; his sore muscles, that delicious tension, his pounding heart.

When Raditz just barely grazed his teeth along the sore head of Vegeta's cock, the tension burst and the ensuing orgasm dragged a harsh scream from Vegeta's throat. When he came down, Raditz was supporting his lower back with his left hand and his right index and middle finger were still inside him.

"Well, you weren't lying about flexibility, that's for sure. Now, I'm curious to see if I can make you come a few more times…"


	6. Chapter 4- Part 2

Learning The Ropes, chapter 4 (part 2)  
by pureleaf  
Pairing: Raditz x Vegeta  
Warnings: explicit sexuality, profanity, drug/alcohol use

Author note: I love getting reviews you guys! Thanks for your comments so far!

* * *

They stopped long enough for Raditz to fetch a bottle of lubricant from his bathroom medicine cabinet and for Vegeta get the beer they'd left in the living room.

"Bah, it's a bit warm," the prince frowned after he tasted it, "but it'll do. For now."

"Bitch, bitch, bitch, Vegeta. Waah, my beer is too warm! Get your ass over here," Raditz pulled Vegeta by the arm and into his lap and pushed wispy hairs away from the Prince's eyes. He snapped the bottle of lube open with his thumb and turned it upside-down so a steady drizzle of shiny clear liquid collected on the swollen head of his huge cock.

The prince started to slick lubricant down the shaft of Raditz' cock and looked into the older Saiyan's eyes with one brow cocked and his lips twisting into a smirk much like Raditz'. "So is this for me, huh?"

"It might be," Raditz took hold of his and Vegeta's cock with one hand and began rocking his hips slowly, "you should tell me how much you want it..."

The mattress creaked as Vegeta rolled his hips and arched his back in response. "Raditz, don't you want to fuck your prince? What a rare privilege you have literally waiting in your lap..."

Raditz shrugged his shoulders. "Works for me. On your belly, your highness."

Another one of those jolts went down Vegeta's spine and his erection returned very quickly. Something about being ordered to assume a position felt satisfying in a curious way. He went on his belly and took one of the pillows and placed it under his upper chest and forearms.

Two fingers, this time slicked with lubricant, pushing inside him again and pressing into sensitive flesh. "You're going to be one tight fuck," Raditz muttered above him, removing his fingers. The click of the lubricant bottle being opened, and then there were three fingers inside him. He felt them spread inside and he couldn't hold back a low, almost mournful groan.

"Relax, relax..." fingers pulled out again, an unexpected slap across the ass, and the feeling of weight moving across the mattress as Raditz knelt over Vegeta with his thick knees practically squeezing Vegeta's slender hips.

Strong hands spreading his ass cheeks apart, and then the feeling of something smooth and hot and thick pressing against the tight entrance.

Raditz pushed into Vegeta mercilessly and didn't stop until he'd buried nearly five inches of his dick inside his much smaller partner. The younger Saiyan moaned in shock and he immediately tensed his body, trying to push the intruder out. "Please..."

"Please what?" Raditz pulled out two inches and slammed back in, just a bit deeper this time. Vegeta only responded with a grunt and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Thought so. Just relax... come on, spread your legs a bit wider now..." Raditz kept pushing further inside and was building a steady rhythm. The mattress was creaking underneath their weight. The big Saiyan grasped Vegeta's right arm and twisted it behind his back, trapping his smaller partner's slender forearm in his crushing grip.

_He's fucking me_  
_He's fucking me like a common whore_  
_It hurts_  
_Oh gods it hurts_  
_I need more_

Vegeta's legs spasmed and he came as the huge head of Raditz' cock brushed against that spot inside him over and over again. Raditz continued to fuck him, having built up a rhythm with enough intensity to make the headboard slam against the wall and to practically force Vegeta's breath from his lungs. He couldn't even moan properly with the weight on top of him.

When Raditz slammed into him a final time and started to shake as his orgasm took over, Vegeta was brought over the edge for the third time that evening and screamed through the borderline painful climax. After a long minute, Raditz pulled out just a bit too quickly for Vegeta's liking and moved off the bed. He slapped the younger Saiyan's ass again and went into his en-suite bathroom.

The sound of the shower. Vegeta rolled onto his back, heart-rate finally slowing to normal and sweaty skin cooling. He'd never felt so _dominated _by one of his own comrades before and was shocked at how much he'd actually enjoyed it.

After many minutes, Raditz returned to the bedroom, skin dripping wet and hair haphazardly held back with long curved rib-bones taken from terrifying mammals that were said to exist in the waters of Planet 79.

"Gotta shower after I fuck. It's a thing and I can't really explain why. So... how was that?"

"Not quite what I expected, to be perfectly honest. That being said, I might do it again..."

Raditz smirked. "I need something to eat, something to drink, a bowl of Ausadhi, and then I'd be up for another round."

"Sounds like a plan to me. We've got a few more hours to kill, anyway."

"At the very least..."

* * *

When Vegeta awoke the next morning, his hips and thighs were aching terribly. He and Raditz had fucked twice more; first on the couch as the newscaster droned on in the background, and then again in Raditz' shower. They'd fallen asleep together in Raditz' room, but Vegeta moved back to his own bedroom when he found himself unable to cope with the big Saiyan's tendency to both spread out _and_ roll around as he slept.

He could smell Raditz on him. That heavy, musky, spicy smell was in his hair and on his skin. He rolled out of his bed and into his bathroom, opting for a hot shower to ease his aching muscles.

No classes with Endzela today, he thought, wincing as he knelt down to scrub the soles of his feet and rinse off.

Vegeta went into the living room and scrolled through the channels on the television. It was early, so the programming was either business-related or geared towards families with very young offspring. Still, it was good background noise, he decided, and went into the kitchen to find something to curb his hunger.

They were running out of food again and would need to stop at the market. He cracked two bird eggs, each the size of his fist, into a frying pan and placed it on a burner set to high. There was still some fruit left, and half a container of the fried insects Raditz constantly ate while on leave.

"Eh, it'll do..."

Halfway through breakfast, Nappa came into the kitchen, looking no worse for wear than usual. His ability to consume massive amounts of alcohol stunned Vegeta at times. "You're up earlier than I expected. How'd your evening go?"

Vegeta shrugged. "It was alright. Just hung out for the most part."

"Right. Uhh, Anis is still asleep in my room and probably will be until afternoon. I was going to swim laps and see about having my pod upgraded. Those things are just too fucking cramped for a long-haul journey."

"Heh, you're telling me. I might see about mine as well. My console's speaker kept cutting out last return journey. I'll join you, if you want the company." Vegeta stared at the cold insects in the container and couldn't bring himself to eat them.

"Sounds fine. I did drink a lot, so let me have a decent breakfast first..."

Vegeta forced himself to pick up one particularly fat worm and pinched it with his thumb and forefinger. "All that's left are these fried bugs Raditz likes so much. You want them?"

Nappa cringed. "Yuck. You know, I'm no picky eater but those bugs are just too much for me..."

The prince bit into the worm and his mouth was flooded with a pungent slime that reminded him of bile and something like rotting leaves. He gagged and spit it back into the container, threw the half-eaten worm back inside, and quickly snapped the opaque lid back on. "It's vile! Nappa, it's fucking vile! Euuurgh putitbackinthefridgeNOW!"

"So, do you want to go out for some breakfast?"

"Now."


	7. Chapter 5

Learning The Ropes

by pureleaf

Chapter 5

* * *

A hearty, slow-paced breakfast was a rare treat for the three Saiyan warriors and it was one they knew to take advantage of while on shore-leave. While on assignment it was typical that they would subsist on wild fruits (if known to be safe) and the flesh of their slain enemies if palatable. Once Nappa had left for a solo mission weighing 180 kilograms and had returned twenty five kilograms lighter only six weeks later.

Nappa brought the young prince to his favourite spot for breakfast in the packed marketplace. It was a narrow space with perpetually steamed up windows, dingy beige walls, and deep booths that gave the huge Saiyan plenty of room to stretch his legs.

"Hi! Take any seat! The "special big meal" for the big man, right?" A tiny waitress with pale pink skin and fine violet hair cut in a short bob sauntered past the two warriors while balancing a tray with one slender hand.

"We'll need a minute to look at the menu, lovely," Nappa grinned slid into the first empty booth he could spot.

Vegeta eyed the restaurant with suspicion. The place was crowded with soldiers and citizens alike; the atmosphere laid back, the air thick with the aromas of cooked meat and something rich he couldn't place. Finally, he returned his gaze to Nappa and curled his upper lip as he repeated Nappa's comment to the waitress: "lovely?"

"Fuck off, she's cute," Nappa shot back as he played with the frayed edge of the thick plastic tablecloth, "that pink skin just does something to me…"

"Heh. You're sick, Nappa. What's good here, anyway?" Vegeta eyed the laminated menu on the table. He nearly gagged when he saw they offered fried ___and _fresh worms.

"Mostly everything. I usually get the large eggs with cured meat and ground meat on the side, plus the sweet hotcakes, the spicy vegetables, the cold fruit plate, and the flat bread with… some kind of sauce, I guess. She keeps telling me what it is but I always forget."

"Fine, let's get that… and no damn worms…"

The waitress returned and beamed at both Saiyans. She obviously knew Nappa and touched his shoulder when speaking with him. "You always get the big meal! We practically named it after you. Something different this time?"

"Two big meals today, my dear. My friend wants everything I'm having."

"Ah, he eats like you? But he's small…"

Vegeta shot a poisonous glare at the waitress and a low growl rumbled in his throat. Few things angered him more than being made fun of for his size, and in his mind the cute waitress was flirting with death.

"He's small and ___deadly fast_. Young and still growing. Likes food a lot. Two big meals are good then?"

"Mm, I think we could do it! Two big meals out soon, big man!" She gave Nappa a cheerful nod and sauntered away again.

"What a bitch commenting on my height! She should talk, she only came up to my chest…"

Nappa sighed. Whenever Vegeta got into one of ___his moods_ it was difficult to continue any sort of conversation without further angering him. After spending so many years with the young Saiyan, Nappa knew that it was better to change the subject immediately.

"So what were you up to last night?"

"Not a lot."

"Right… did you hurt yourself last night by chance?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Nappa? Did you take those strange tablets at the bar again? What would ever give you the idea that I was injured?"

The eldest Saiyan snickered at Vegeta's rapidfire accusations. "First off, no tablets. Never again with the tablets. Second, I ask because Anis and I heard a lot of moaning when we got in."

The prince knew then that Nappa was playing dumb with him. He vaguely recalled moaning in Raditz' shower and the memory of being pinned down against the smooth tile bottom with warm water hitting his shoulders and neck as the big Saiyan fucked him came rushing back.

___Play it cool, Vegeta._

"That's because I was having sex," Vegeta's voice was downright icy.

"You finally did it, huh? Good for you. Hopefully Raditz wasn't too hard with you."

___He was. _

A memory of Raditz snarling in his ear and pulling on his hair. The tingle between his legs threatened to turn into a full-blown erection.

"It was alright. When did you get in, anyway?"

"Eh, we were kicked out of a club and decided to go home to, ___you know_… it must have been late because the public transit was shut down and only the night taxis were running."

The little pink and violet waitress returned carrying her serving tray loaded with dishes. Vegeta's mouth watered as she set down a plate of cakes drenched in a shiny brown syrup. He'd never seen anything like it before and immediately cut into it with his knife and fork.

"You're right, he does eat like you!" The waitress giggled and unloaded the remaining dishes.

Not much was said for many minutes as the Saiyans feasted on the huge selection of food. Vegeta favoured the sweet cakes and the cured meats most of all.

"So you're feeling alright today, Vegeta? After last night?"

The youngest Saiyan looked up from his plate and cocked a brow. "What are you going on about now, Nappa?"

"What you did last night. Raditz didn't hurt you, did he?"

Vegeta swallowed. "Not really. No. He was just… rough. Probably rougher than he should have been, I don't know… is it really any of your business?"

"Yes and no, Vegeta. I don't ca-"

"Excuse me?" The Saiyan prince set down a scrap of flatbread he was about to drag through a bowl of a thick, spicy sauce topped with drizzles of a fragrant nut oil.

"It's not my business, but in a way it's also my business at the same time. Your Highness," Nappa recalled a firm, disciplinary tone of voice he had used with Vegeta when he was very young, "I am not asking you to share the details of your sex life. You can fuck who you want. That said, I still consider myself to be under your father's orders to protect you, and it is my responsibility to ensure you are safe, healthy, and that your needs are taken care of. The fact that you're nineteen years old does not change this for me, Vegeta. Just know that if Raditz is too rough, I'm more than happy to give him the same treatment."

Vegeta nearly choked on his flatbread and laughed loudly. Sometimes he forgot that Nappa had literally watched him grow up and could still make him laugh.

"Do you think I'll grow any taller, Nappa? You told that waitress that I'm still growing."

Nappa shrugged. "You could be, but you could also be a Saiyan with a smaller frame. Raditz wasn't fully-grown until he was twenty three, so don't worry about it too much…"

* * *

After a large breakfast and ten minutes of Nappa flirting with the tiny pink waitress after he paid the bill, the two Saiyans decided it would be practical to see about having their pods upgraded before swimming laps. It was a short walk to the pod showroom and repair centre.

"Says here you both have been using the same pod for an extended amount of time… hmm… definitely due for an upgrade, both of you. Especially pod user #4562, "Nappa The Terrible"? That must be you," a tall and lanky mechanic with orange, scaly skin looked up from his tablet and pointed at the towering Saiyan, "bet you were cramped in that old pod, huh? Do you two wanna take a test flight in the new model?"

"I'm down," Nappa shrugged. How could he be so easygoing about everything, Vegeta wondered.

"I suppose," Vegeta started, "what sort of communication capabilities are we talking here?"

"Check it out," the mechanic led Vegeta to an open pod and pointed to the computer consoles in the ceiling and door, "you can establish a video calling link in this model. Select one to thirty five participants in your calls, too. I've heard good things from some other soldiers who have upgraded. Upgraded speakers with surround sound, playlist capabilities… galactic television access is available throughout 65% of all sectors in the PTO at this point. It's pretty much an entertainment centre in your pod for those long journeys if you don't like to spend much time in hypersleep."

"It sounds promising. I want to take a test run, maybe an hour or so just to see if I can stand it inside."

"Of course. What's your scouter number?"

"Six-four-seven-two."

"Right…" the mechanic put the information into his handheld tablet, "scouter #6472 "Prince Vegeta" is set up to work with Pod Version 6, model number 78962-23B. You may board whenever you're ready, soldier."

The mechanic set the pod to orbit Planet 79's nearest neighbour twice before returning. The entire journey would take one hour and thirty seven minutes in total.

The interior was much more comfortable, and there was more room to stretch. Vegeta could actually sit with his legs tucked underneath him. The air recycling mechanisms that been improved and the pod remained wonderfully cool. The lights could be adjusted. The computer's voice, originally a low robotic drone that was widely mocked by soldiers had been replaced with a cool, calm female voice that was very pleasing to Vegeta's ears. Most importantly, there was a new lift-support system that included a ventilator and gas that would induce a state of deep relaxation and hypnosis if a soldier were seriously injured.

Once the pod had cleared Planet 79's atmosphere, Vegeta decided to establish a private video calling link at the apartment. A soft dial tone pulsed through the speakers.

"Pick up, you lazy bastard…" Vegeta hissed.

******CONNECTION ESTABLISHED**

The image of Raditz laying in bed with the sheets around his waist flicked on. His hair was a mess and he squinted at the video-calling screen he'd installed over his dresser. "Wuh?"

"Up and at 'em, bitch! Guess where I am?"

"Vegeta? Holy shit," he left the bed and moved toward the dresser, "you're in a pod! What's going on?"

"Pod upgrades. This is the sixth version and it's much better than the old version. Better seats, more room, private video calling lines, speakers, life support system…"

"And you and Nappa went without me?! You're both assholes! I need to get a new pod and soon! So where are you, anyway? Why is it so dark?"

"Check it out, Raditz," Vegeta adjusted the pod lighting so the pod was illuminated in deep blue glow, "mood lighting."

Raditz smirked and winked into the camera. "Are you sure this is a private line, Vegeta?"

"I'll double check…" Vegeta checked the communication lines and found the mechanic had signed-off five minutes ago, "oh yeah, this is a private line…"

"Let me transfer to the living room video screen and you can tell me all about the new features of this pod."

******TO BE CONTINUED**


	8. Chapter 6

Learning The Ropes  
by pureleaf

Chapter 6

* * *

The pod's communication screen went green for two minutes before switching to the communication screen in the living room. Raditz lay on the couch with the sheets still wrapped around his waist.

"So, a new pod… is it a comfortable ride?"

"Oh ho, it's a comfortable ride, but it might not be quite as much fun as some other rides I've been on lately…"

Raditz groaned. "You aren't funny…"

"Yes I am," Vegeta sniggered, "but what I want to know is why you're being so modest and covering yourself with a sheet, Raditz."

"Can't a guy be decent? You ___did _yell at me not to walk around naked once, twice, twenty thousand times over the years… why the sudden change? Did you mellow out, or do you just want to see my dick?"

"Can't it be both? Raditz…" Vegeta fiddled with the lights in the pod so the colour went from blue to green and then to darkness, "give me a show. Make yourself come for me. I've got another hour to kill and want see how the screen looks in a dark pod."

The Saiyan prince's face was just barely illuminated by the glow of the video screen. Raditz could spot just the barest hint of a naughty smile.

Back in the apartment's living room, Raditz shot his signature smirk at the camera and let his fingers trace down his bare stomach and towards the bundled sheets covering his hips and legs.

* * *

The afternoon spent with Nappa was a relatively enjoyable one, although that was something Vegeta would not readily admit to either of his comrades. After the pod test and immediately confirming that they wanted to upgrade their vehicles, they chose to walk to the recreation centre. The air was hot and dry, gritty with pollution, smelling of smoke and vehicle exhaust.

They swam laps in a deep saline pool before moving on to a sauna so hot that it had both Saiyans pouring sweat in less than a minute, and they only able to tolerate the temperature for a total of ten minutes before they readily agreed that it was time to move on.

"That's how Raditz and I get ready for a mission if we've been drinking too much, you know…" Nappa stood hunched underneath a shower head, rinsing a green-tined cleansing gel from his arms and chest.

"Huh?" Vegeta ran his fingers through sections of his hair and cringed at the texture. The gel had stripped his thick hair and scalp of all its natural oil, turning the mane into a mass of tangles and snarls that might take hours to release.

"We go into a hot sauna and sit there for as long as we can stand it. It feels awful, but it works," explained Nappa.

"Uh, wha- ___oh_. Right, you two get hammered every chance you ca- damn this cleaning gel! Designed for mammalian species, I'm sure! My hair is going to look totally ridiculous now…"

"As if it already didn't look ridiculous!" Three shower heads to Vegeta's right, Jeice stood under the spray of warm water with his thick white hair stuffed into a shiny black shower cap. The Saiyan couldn't believe the red-skinned man had the nerve to comment on ___his appearance _while wearing such a ridiculous item on his head.

"Can you not listen in on my conversation with my partner? Besides, I don't think you're exactly in any position to talk about my hair…"

The youngest member of the Ginyu Force was remarkably laid-back and didn't react to Vegeta's anger. As far as he could tell, the Saiyan wanted any excuse to start a fight. Without missing a beat, Jeice redirected the conversation back towards friendly territory. "That gel really isn't good for the hair, mate. I learned that the hard way me'self. Just let it be for a few days until your hair is oily again. Have you heard about the new pod models? Just upgraded me'self an' have yet to regret the decision."

"We just did a test flight today. It'll be interesting to see how an extended trip goes, that's certain…" Nappa shut off the water to the shower head he was occupying and went to dry off.

Vegeta shrugged. "The new screens are nice. Not that room was ever an issue, but it's nice to be able to shift around in-flight."

"You're right there, Vegeta. The latest Super Alien Fighting Robots movie is set to be released during my next assignment, but I'll be able to watch it in me pod this time!"

The Saiyan cringed and shut off the water. "Raditz likes those films too. Well, good luck on your next assignment, I guess…" he left the showers and was scratching his scalp by the time he was at his locker.

* * *

The sun was beginning to sink behind the skyscrapers and distant mountain ranges of Planet 79 when Nappa and Vegeta finally returned to the apartment, once again loaded with supplies from the market. They'd decided to spend a bit of their money on two freshly slaughtered and gutted ___bakari_ (a common kind of livestock traded within the PTO for its good meat and milk, weighing roughly 40 kilograms and featuring two large horns atop its head) and thick portions of smoked red-fleshed fish.

"I still can't believe you two went and upgraded your pods without me," Raditz strolled into the kitchen dressed only in his shorts and burst into laughter when he spotted Vegeta, "what the hell happened to your hair?"

The Saiyan prince growled for the second time that day, low and deep in his chest. Nappa glanced at his young partner and clicked his tongue twice- a not-so-subtle warning that Vegeta needed to keep calm. He put the ___bakari_ on the kitchen table and ran his fingers through the creature's wiry hair. If he was patient while skinning the ___bakari_, they could have the hides tanned and turned into wall hangings. It was typical that they'd smash the skull in pursuit of the animal's brains, but if they encountered a ___bakari_ with particularly impressive horns they might take the time to boil the animal's head before eating the brains and flesh around the skull.

"Go upgrade tomorrow, Raditz," Vegeta snapped, "you've done nothing but sit around the apartment getting drunk and high for close to a week now. I'll be damned if one member of my team is out of place during the next mission."

"And you've done nothing but act like a bitch for close to a week…"

"Both of you," Nappa was gingerly cutting the skin around the slender legs of the bakari, "shut the fuck up and unpack the food. Vegeta, let Raditz do what he wants with his time off. Raditz, don't needle Vegeta and go get your pod upgraded tomorrow."

The younger Saiyans growled in annoyance but followed the elder's orders. Vegeta had purchased a great deal of fruit again and started to eat as he unpacked. He pulled apart a segmented, slightly acidic fruit with a fragrant peel.

Raditz snatched half of the fruit from Vegeta's hands. The young Saiyan bared his teeth and growled again.

"Easy, Vegeta…" Nappa warned as he slowly skinned the animal.

Once Nappa had skinned the ___bakari_, the three Saiyans sat at the table with beer and a cold, light coloured wine and mutually agreed that they should keep the skull.

"I call an eye," Vegeta sunk two bare fingers into the animal's right eye socket, pulled out its eyeball and popped it in his mouth.

"I want the other one!" Nappa took its left eye.

"Gross," Raditz muttered as he twisted the bakari's hind right leg, snapping bone and severing tendons, "never liked eyes…"

"You eat worms, Raditz. You have no right to comment on what tastes good," the youngest Saiyan started to dig his fingers deeper into the skull's empty eye sockets and reached the brains.

"Which reminds me," Raditz had the severed leg in his hands now and his face was stained with blood, "stay the fuck out of my food. Don't taste my stuff and then spit it back in the container, Vegeta. That's just disrespectful."

Vegeta snarled through a mouthful of oily brains. He couldn't place why he felt so aggressive, but the urge to sink his teeth into Raditz' throat was mounting. He grabbed the horns and broke the skull in half.

The eldest Saiyan sighed. So much for keeping the skull. Vegeta had been ___on edge _for months now. The young Saiyan was close to snapping and the smallest of interactions was setting off the prince.

___He's maturing… this might be one of the big, nasty blow-ups he needs to get out of his system. He's been suppressing all his feelings and ignoring his hormones for two years and if he doesn't wear himself out while on leave we might have problems during a mission… think, Nappa… _

The three Saiyans ate the entire ___bakari_ in tense silence. Vegeta was snarling and baring his teeth as he ate his share of the animal; cracking the bones and sucking out the marrow with his gaze fixed on Raditz. While he had never considered Raditz a good friend, Vegeta had never felt so aggressive toward a partner before.

The urge to pummel Raditz was growing. He couldn't stop imagining the ways he'd use his small size and flexibility to his advantage over the huge Saiyan. He wanted to break his bones and kick him until he knew Raditz would piss red for a week.

Vegeta's tail began quivering and he slammed it against the underside of the table every five seconds.

It was then that Nappa knew his instincts were right. Vegeta was growing more aggressive by the hour and needed to get it out of his system as soon as possible.

"You two," Nappa rose from the table and Vegeta bared his teeth at the eldest Saiyan, "need to go out tonight. Raditz, come with me for a minute. Vegeta, just keep eating."

"Like I'd get up for you," Vegeta snapped before burying his face back into the animal's split torso.

The two elder Saiyans went down the hallway and stopped at the doorway to Nappa's bedroom.

"The fuck is his problem?" Raditz rolled his eyes at just the thought of the young Saiyan's behaviour.

"___Garami_, Raditz. Maybe you triggered it when you fucked him, or maybe he's just becoming a full-fledged adult Saiyan right now. Either way, you need to get him to the Recreation Centre and help him get this insanity out of his system before he gets too destructive. I'll call them and get an empty ring reserved."

"___Ise mainu_?"

"___Apa yuva haim, _Raditz. You have my permission to beat the shit out of him. Send him to the clinic if it comes to that. I just don't want… or need… him freaking out in the apartment. You went through the same thing, after all."

"I don't remember losing my shit like he is right now, Nappa."

The eldest Saiyan smirked at Raditz. "No surprise you don't remember going through ___Garami_. It can be a traumatic experience. I'll tell you about what happened once you've helped Vegeta get through ___Garami_. Now hurry up, before he's seeing red."

Raditz sighed, muttered something under his breath about "just wanting to chill out with a beer", and went into the kitchen.

"Hey, prince asshole! You want to fight? Come with me to the Recreation Centre and show me you can land a punch," Raditz lightly slapped the back of Vegeta's head and kept walking until he was out of the apartment and moving down the hallway to the lifts. The worst thing he could do was stop moving and let Vegeta catch him.

"Bitch," Vegeta threw the bone he'd been gnawing over his shoulder, "I'm going to ruin you."

He slammed the door on his way out. Nappa picked the bone off the floor and chuckled to himself. The Prince was really growing up, he thought, and it wasn't long ago that he would ask to be carried on my shoulders…

—

Saiyan conversation, loosely translated.

Garami = Heat  
"Why me?"  
"(Because) you're young."


	9. Chapter 7

Learning The Ropes

by pureleaf

Chapter 7

A/N: THIS chapter… I don't know what happened either.  
Your reviews/comments are appreciated. Feel free to tell me WHY you're still reading this silly story.

* * *

Although Vegeta's nose had been set and was back to normal, it still stung enough to make his eyes continually water. His eyelids were likely still bruised, but he couldn't confirm his suspicions until he saw his reflection in a mirror. It felt as though his skeleton was iced and his muscles were on fire. On top of everything that had happened, the buzz of alcohol was wearing off and threatening a serious hangover.

It's past midnight now, he thought, between the flight and the fight and winding up in the medical bay… fuck, what am I doing?! I've never lost my patience like that before… this has been a ___fucked up_ night.

Raditz had been in to see Frieza before Vegeta had even left the medical bay. After their vicious fight had led them to a bar packed with soldiers, they had been detained by peace officers and were quickly transported to the central medical bay for immediate care.

There had been a shard of glass almost four centimeters long embedded in Vegeta's left forearm after he had managed to kick a table with such force that a glass pitcher came crashing onto the stone floor and then rolled over the shattered glass in an attempt to get away from Raditz. While the glass had been removed and the tissue repaired, the muscle still hurt terribly and he was forced to keep his hand relaxed.

"I should kill you, Vegeta. Emphasis on ___should_. This one time, however, I am choosing to look the other way and pretend this entire incident did not occur," Frieza paused to take a long sip of wine, "because your comrade Raditz insisted that your acting out is the result of some simian hormonal spike. Tell me, do you monkeys really take so long to reach adulthood? It seems to me that it's just one massive inconvenience for everybody."

Frieza sat with his back turned to Vegeta, sprawled out on a chaise longue with an intricate hosed water-pipe for vaporizing a potent white milk extracted from the pod of a rare flower that induced euphoria and analgesia at his side, with his long tail flicking with annoyance. After the chaos of the last five hours, the Saiyan prince had not expected to wind up in Frieza's penthouse within thirty minutes of emerging from a healing tank.

Vegeta inhaled slowly through his still-throbbing nose and stared at the variations in the marble floor. The entire apartment and all its furnishings were off-white and it left him feeling disoriented and very vulnerable. "You are correct, Lord Frieza… we do develop more slowly than other species."

"When do you expect to, ahem, grow up? I can't have one of my prize soldiers throwing tantrums on the battlefield, can I, Vegeta?"

"No, my lord… by perhaps by age twenty five, I'll have reached my full height…"

The lizard chuckled and swirled his wine. "So it's just what I suspected… despite that developing, gorgeous body and apparently massive sexual appetite you've acquired as of late, you're mentally still such a child. It would be in your best interest to behave yourself. Any more incidents and you'll wish you'd never returned for shore leave, is that understood?"

"Yes, Lord Frieza."

"As you were, then. Why don't you go to whatever watering hole you and that hairball Raditz love and behave yourself? I'm sure you two are eager to play a bit more after that show he gave you while you were testing your new pod…"

Vegeta's hands clenched into fists, pain be damned.

* * *

Raditz' left eye was still swollen shut when they met at the tavern. The elder Saiyan had already ordered a huge pitcher of beer and was halfway through his second glass when the prince approached the table and hopped onto an empty stool.

"Hey," the long-haired Saiyan poured Vegeta a glass of beer, "are you alright?"

Vegeta didn't reply. He took the glass to his lips and didn't finish drinking until the glass was empty. Finally, with a worried sigh, he nodded. "I think Frieza must have been in an excellent mood or he was incredibly high, because he let me off with a verbal warning."

"You lucky son-of-a-bitch," he spread and raised his right thigh to reveal a line of deep bruises running down the insides of both legs from his groin to his knees, "because I didn't." Vegeta knew that Raditz' back was likely in even worse shape.

The younger Saiyan's eyes widened momentarily before the icy mask returned. "Hmm, sensitive spot. I too have received my share of beatings from Frieza, so suck it up! More beer, Raditz." He passed his glass across the table and waited for it to be filled.

Two hours later and on their third pitcher of beer, the two Saiyans had dropped all animosity and instead watched a game of breakball on the nearest television screen. Their conversation had quieted; brief remarks about the game, hopes that rain would put a damper to the hot weather, Vegeta suggesting ways to relieve the bruising.

"What's wrong with me, Raditz? Am I finally losing my mind? I thought it would be so much more… welcomed?" Vegeta asked quietly, his speech slightly slurred. He dipped his left index finger in his beer and sucked on his fingertip for several seconds. "I can't seem to make sense of anything any more. One minute I want to party, the next I want nothing more than to train in solitude. First I'm angry, then I'm laughing, and then I want to be fucked senseless before I'm furious again. I must be a complete pain in the ass, Raditz."

"That might be one of the most self-aware things you've ever said to anybody, Vegeta. You really are a pain in the ass, but you're also my team mate and I consider you a friend. You, Nappa, and I… we're the last of our kind, and we need to stick together. I can't believe I'm actually saying all this… but don't worry, kid- you aren't losing your mind. You're finally growing up and unfortunately you're dealing with one ugly, very sudden surge in hormones at the moment. According to Nappa, it's some weird episode all Saiyans go through towards the end of puberty. The good thing is, apparently the worst of it is over. So… welcome to grown up land, your highness. Manhood, I guess? Ugh, I'm not good at this man-to-man, reassurance shit. Thank the gods I'm not a parent… ___hopefully_."

"Thank you," Vegeta topped his and Raditz' glasses with amber beer, "how long will it take for your eyelid to heal?"

"Probably a week or two at the most," Raditz gave a slow nod of appreciation for the beer and took a long sip.

"Not that I'm in the least bit sorry for kicking your ass," Vegeta shrugged and his gaze drifted back to the muted television on the wall.

"Of course you aren't…"

"Do you want to order some food? I was thinking fried bird thighs. I'll even pay," Vegeta offered, attention switching to a small paper menu on their table.

"Yes."

* * *

After the tavern closed for the night, Raditz and Vegeta were left to stagger home when the streets were at their quietest. Most of the soldiers had gone home or had passed out in one of the cheap rooms situated above most taverns, and only a small handful of citizens, mostly street cleaners or food vendors preparing for a breakfast rush, were out. The sun would rise again in two to three hours, but for the time being the air was almost cool.

Raditz had to carry Vegeta once they'd reached the grand entrance to Sarnai Towers. The Saiyan prince was very intoxicated, exhausted from his ordeal, and occasionally muttered something to Raditz, his speech so slurred that the older Saiyan could only guess at what Vegeta was trying to express.

"MmRaditshh… immanidiot… mlegshurt… nmmtoodrunk…"

"You're right about that," Raditz said as he haphazardly reached for the key card he'd stashed in the internal pocket of his armour with his free arm, wincing when the movement translated into pain down his bruised back, "so let's get your dumb, drunk ass to bed, alright? Come on."

Vegeta slid down Raditz' front and stumbled across the apartment's threshold. He tripped once, picked himself back up, and continued to stumble down the hallway, banging his hip against his bedroom door and only muttering a single curse.

After several minutes, Raditz tried his best to silently creep down the hallway to check on Vegeta. The prince was passed out on his bed with the covers pushed down to his hips, his armour and clothing carelessly dropped on the floor.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Raditz went to the kitchen to have something to eat. He hadn't expected Nappa to still be awake. The eldest Saiyan was laying across the large couch in the connected living room, scrolling through a block of text on his tablet.

"Damn, Raditz, I was starting to think you two were in serious trouble. What the hell happened? You look like shit," Nappa rose from the couch, went to the kitchen, and fetched a bottle of spirits and two shot glasses, "come have a drink and tell me everything."

"My back's a lot worse, man. I think Frieza gave me the beating intended for Vegeta because I told him the kid's hormones are going nuts and that he didn't remember the episode."

"Is that true?" The eldest Saiyan poured two shots and slid one over to Raditz.

"No," Raditz snickered and threw the shot back, inhaling sharply when the heat of the alcohol spread through his aching chest, "he knew exactly what he was doing and seems to have remembered everything. That ___garami_ or whatever you called it is something else, I'll say that much. But if Frieza believed my story, he must have known about it already… and if you thought Vegeta was strong before… he might be a bit of a monster now. There's no shame in my admitting that he bested me very quickly."

After many minutes of silence, Nappa shook his head. "What happened? I had officers come to the door to ask me ___questions _about when you two had left the apartment, and if I knew what was going on. Thankfully, Frieza didn't contact me, and hopefully, he won't be contacting me regarding this mess…"

"We agreed to walk to the recreational facility to burn off some steam, because Vegeta claimed that he felt too hot and too fidgety to sit in a taxi. Then, after walking a half kilometer while putting up with his insults, the little shit flew off! I was so conflicted on whether to let him go or catch him… but in the end I took after him because, obviously, I'm an idiot. We got into a huge fight about forty kilometers southeast of the station. He managed to get a few good shots in, even used his Gallick Gun… and he did what you see to my eye now when he kicked me in the face. Vegeta's so tiny, but he's got the high kick from hell! To make things worse, he's so flexible and squirmy that I couldn't even pin him for more than a few seconds. Then he took off again and I tried to track him with my scouter, but I just couldn't catch up to him. Eventually, maybe three hours later, I found him in a bar, literally hiding under a table, with about six empty shot glasses lined up in front of him, crying and drunk off his ass, and he flipped out when I tried to make him leave the bar. We wound up getting in another fight in the bar, glasses were smashed, blood was shed, peace officers arrived and we were sent to the medical bay. The doctors only did enough to heal my wounds, but did nothing to relieve the pain. Vegeta and I were sent to Frieza- me first, and he went at me with his tail, then told me to leave… so I went to a tavern and started drinking. Uh, Vegeta showed up some time later, we got drunk, talked about some shit, and now he's passed out in his bedroom. That was one hell of a night, Nappa, and I think that I may have had my fill of "fun" for… well, at least a few days, anyway."

Nappa took his shot and calmly exhaled through his nostrils. "Vegeta just has to out-do everybody, doesn't he? I remember when you went through ___garami_. You were absolutely ___insane_. Thankfully, your episode was short and our fight was over within a few hours. You broke my nose in two places, you little shit!"

Raditz let out a cackle and pushed his hair back. "I don't recall anything. Were we on shore leave?"

"No," Nappa refilled the shot glasses, "we were accompanying a high-security delivery from Planet 79 to XQ-392 when you went into a state during a thirty six hour layover in Sector 98's recreation and medical complex. You were seventeen and I'd been expecting it for about a year. Your moods had been swinging wildly for about a week prior to the mission, and then we were riding in an elevator when you suddenly kicked Vegeta so hard in the groin that he vomited, and he'd done nothing to provoke you. I actually think he was fooling around with his scouter when you attacked him, so he was completely off-guard. I knew then to get you to a training room, and, well… you did a superb job of beating me senseless."

"Wait, I kicked Vegeta in the balls?!" Raditz let out a husky laugh and started to gingerly remove his armour.

"You did. He was livid for weeks and only calmed down when I told him you'd contracted a parasite that had started eating through the parts of your brain that control emotion and impulse."

"Are you saying that Vegeta basically thinks I'm brain damaged? Damn it, Nappa… but now that I think about it, I don't even ___remember _any sort of high-security delivery to XQ-392, and ___those _missions tend to be memorable in some way or another. I can't even recall what the planet looks like." He pulled the armor off and set is aside.

"Oh, that mission was memorable for me…" Nappa took another shot and his expression lightened, "how about we get a water-pipe going? How's your back?"

"It hurts like shit. Give me a second, I'll get the pipe." Raditz slowly rose to his feet with a grunt and shuffled into the kitchen.

"Ugh, Raditz. Your back is practically purple," Nappa rose from the sofa and reached the cupboard where the water-pipe was stored before Raditz was halfway across the kitchen.

"I think Frieza gave Vegeta's beating to me…"

"You said that earlier."

"Fuck off, I'm drunk and got punched in the face several times tonight."

As the sun started to rise, Nappa took the liberty of inviting Raditz into his bedroom.

"I didn't thank you for trying to manage the shithead. Thanks, Raditz. I owe you one sometime," Nappa draped a towel he'd soaked in ice water across the Saiyan's back and eased back onto his side.

"Owe me what, exactly? Are we talking an orgasm, a meal, or a beer?"

"Your choice," offered Nappa.

Raditz sighed and slowly readjusted the pillow under his broad chest. "But I like all of those things…"

"Then I'll give you all three," Nappa pushed back Raditz hair and leaned over again to inhale the younger Saiyan's scent.

******TBC**


	10. Chapter 8

Learning the Ropes

by pureleaf

Chapter 8

* * *

Planet 79's bright, hot sun hung high over the mountains when Vegeta came to, hit by fragments of pain all over his body and a sudden cold sweat that the Saiyan recognized as a sign that he was about to vomit. He made it to the toilet with just enough time to lay a towel on the tile floor for the sake of his knees before he spewed the contents of his stomach.

Hard liquor and greasy meat might be great going down but it's putrid coming back up, Vegeta thought as he coughed up bright yellow bile and saliva. He flushed and pushed himself away from the toilet, bare back making contact with the cool marble side of the bathtub. It felt good against his exhausted body, and it was several minutes before he rose to his feet and looked himself over in the mirror and lazily rinsed his face with cool water.

His eyelids were still swollen and purple, and he could swear the bridge of his narrow nose was slightly crooked. He had a sharp, pounding headache, and his stomach ached from both physical strain and alcohol abuse. Vegeta put on his robe and went into the kitchen.

The apartment was silent as Vegeta took a seat at the table with a can of sweet water and whole _mamidi_. He pulled back the fruit's thick skin and sank his teeth into the sweet flesh; juice dripped down his chin as he ate and the pressure of chewing translated as a mild stinging up his nose and into the sinuses.

With nutritious food in his aching stomach, Vegeta felt himself start to perk up little by little. He knew that it would be wise to take a day off from training after his strange episode the night prior, and settled on taking to the living room to find something entertaining on the television.

He dozed while watching a program about the PTO's latest mass-scale urban farming projects, with the volume turned low. Vegeta figured that with so many soldiers and subjects to feed, Frieza had wisely funded infrastructure projects designed to make life easier. Full stomachs meant a little less dissent to stamp out, and more strong soldiers to conquer planets throughout the galaxy.

Eventually, Vegeta's eyes flickered open when he heard the bedroom door nearest to the living room creak open. Nappa went to the kitchen, took a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, and then took his usual spot in the two-seat sofa reserved for the massive Saiyan.

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I've been better. My head hurts. How's Raditz?"

"He's asleep," Nappa paused to sip his beer, "poor bastard had a rough night, dealing with you."

"I bought him a drink and something to eat after we saw Frieza. We're even. To be honest, I recall being irrational and _extremely pissed off_ but can't remember exactly what transpired. A fight with Raditz, some club where somebody gave me a free shot of alcohol that made me feel incredible before everything went... for a lack of a better word, blank... and then Raditz was yelling at me and then I broke my nose when I tried to headbutt him. And then I woke up in the medical wing before Zarbon took me to see Frieza."

The eldest Saiyan pinched the skin at the very top of his nose and sighed. "Why would you take free alcohol from a stranger? Vegeta, when did you start drinking?"

"I started consuming alcohol when I was eleven, Nappa. You know that."

"So you have known to _never _take alcohol from a stranger for at least eight years! Why the hell would you do that?"

"Decided to take a risk," the prince shrugged, "and by all accounts, I got messed up. I've seen you take pills at clubs, Nappa. Hell, I've seen Raditz put stuff up his nose. Why is everybody on my case?"

Nappa sighed and look a longer sip of his beer. "We _purchased _those drugs. You don't take free drinks or drugs unless it's from a trusted associate."

Vegeta's brows furrowed in annoyance. "There's no such thing as a trusted associate in this business, Nappa. You should mind your own business. Maybe I _wanted _ to get screwed up, did you ever consider that?"

"I doubt Your Highness would voluntarily allow for such a loss of control in an unstable environment. You tend to overdo things you find pleasurable. Just be careful, Vegeta."

"Frieza basically told me to lay low until we take off again, and I can take a hint from the bastard when I hear one. How much longer do we have, anyway?"

"A little over 175 hours. If you're going to continue partying like me and Raditz, you'll have to spend some time getting everything out of your system before you launch out and go into stasis."

"I can deal with that, Nappa. Where is the hairball, anyway? He's not exactly graceful when stumbling around this place," Vegeta began scrolling through channels, not searching for any programme in particular.

"My room."

"Huh," Vegeta stopped on what he was sure was some variety of alien pornography, "so who bottoms?"

Nappa cackled and drained his beer, "Raditz."

"I knew it. So he's going to be alright, then?"

The eldest Saiyan shrugged and rose from his seat, in search of more beer. "He'll be fine in a few days. You were right about him needing to get out a bit more, Vegeta. He can be reclusive on leave sometimes. His way of dealing with stress, I think."

"Whatever. Bring me a beer, Nappa. I'm spending the rest of the day here."

* * *

Raditz finally emerged from Nappa's room after the sun had set, dressed only in his high-cut shorts, hair freshly washed and still dripping. The bruising on his thighs and back had faded just slightly, but the tall Saiyan had apparently recovered enough to walk normally.

"And now the hairball is awake! Rise and shine, Raditz." Vegeta was already on his third beer, actively seeking intoxication, and lazily waved the bottle at Raditz.

"And Prince Pain-in-the-ass is drinking again! How are you feeling?" Raditz dropped down beside Vegeta and pulled the remote out of the younger Saiyan's hands. He flicked through the channels so quickly that some of the images didn't even have time to register on the screen.

Vegeta shrugged. "A bit weird, but nothing I can't recover from within a day or two. The beer is helping. Eh, Nappa, how about we just order food to the apartment tonight?"

The eldest Saiyan was scrolling through his tablet, barely paying attention to the conversation. "Huh? No, I'm going out. You two should consider staying in tonight."

Raditz glanced at Vegeta and they both shrugged. "Whatever, Nappa. Go get drunk and get laid. Don't take any drugs and watch your drinks!" Vegeta snatched the remote from Raditz' hand and finally the image of bright, cheerful programming intended for the very youngest in Frieza's empire flashed on the screen.

"Oh, fuck that," Raditz pulled the remote and punched in the numbers for a station that aired hardcore pornography.

Nappa snorted and pushed himself out of the chair. "You two children have fun and don't get into any trouble, now! I'll see you whenever."

He was gone within fifteen minutes, clad only in a black singlet, his boots and his bracers.

After spending several minutes watching what appeared to be tentacles entering an _uncomfortably mammalian-looking _orifice, Vegeta had to turn away from the screen and looked at his older partner. "So, food? Liquor? We have to lay low, after all."

"You owe me, Vegeta," Raditz changed the channel and the image switched to a droning newscaster, "I took a beating for you last night. A bit of meat isn't going to cut it as a sign of gratitude."

_Bit of meat. Heh, clever..._

The prince raised a brow and a lopsided, cocky smirk hooked the corners of his mouth. "Aren't you just so arrogant, Raditz? To actually suggest that your prince owes you sex for doing your job! Have you even a shred of sanity?"

Raditz mirrored Vegeta's expression and laughed deep in his chest. "Sanity? That's debatable... but I am suggesting sex, yes."

_Damn him. Slick bastard. _

Vegeta pulled off his robe and pushed it onto the floor. "We might be able to work _something out_, loyal subject, for your exemplary service..."


	11. Chapter 8, part 2

Learning the Ropes  
by pureleaf

Chapter 8, part 2

A/N- Oh hey, I updated the thing! School is kind of crazy (i'm up to my ass in tests/assignments right now) and unfortunately updates will be less frequent as a result, but I haven't abandoned this fic! I'm also going to start re-working this fic in the near future. As always, I love to read your comments/reviews/constructive criticism!

* * *

"It's still so early! I've been up for what, four hours? There's no way I'm ready to crash," Raditz folded his arms over his chest and puffed at a strand of hair falling in his face.

Vegeta lay beside the elder Saiyan and shrugged, indifferent to his partner's rising need for excitement outside the apartment. They'd gone to Vegeta's bedroom and "had a play" as Raditz liked to call it, and were taking another break when the elder Saiyan started to complain about being forced to stay in all night.

"It's probably wise that we stay here, Raditz. Even if we kept to ourselves, there's the risk we'd be spotted by the wrong people."

Raditz sighed and let his body slide off the mattress. He paced the floor and tried to think of something ___novel _they could try. Sex was fun, but Raditz craved social interaction and didn't like being ordered to stay in when he truly felt up to meeting different people.

"But I'm bored and full of energy! Even if we fucked again, I wouldn't be able to sleep!"

"There's no way I can sleep yet, either. We'll just have to make the most of it. Think of it as a very boring assignment," the prince sat up in his bed and started to comb through his hair, "like being on guard-duty or a high-security shipment."

"I'm not prepared to just stay in this damn apartment, Vegeta. Didn't Frieza say to just stay out of trouble? He didn't ___directly say_ we couldn't go out… we just need to stay under the radar."

The young Saiyan looked at Raditz with a cocked brow and shrugged after a moment of consideration. "Oh, fuck it."

* * *

They chose to leave the armour at home. Raditz was down to his high-cut shorts and boots, and Vegeta in blue leggings and white boots. Both agreed it would be wise to keep their scouters on their person, despite the possibility of Freiza tracking their location.

A large taxi crawled past their building as they exited through the sliding glass doors. A thin insectoid creature, presumably male, with a shimmering blue exoskeleton, waved to the Saiyans and invited them into the back of his spacious vehicle.

"Where to, gentlemen?"

"Take us somewhere really wild," the younger Saiyan tacked a 25% gratuity on top of the fare when prompted by his scouter, "I want to get fucked up."

"I wanna ___see _something fucked up!" Raditz chimed in, perhaps unconsciously wiping his nose when Vegeta hinted at the possibility of consuming some sort of chemical for a thrill.

The taxi doors slid shut and the driver slowly merged into the crowded street. "If the gentlemen are seeking the unusual, the best choice would be Club Bizarre."

"Never heard of it," sniffed Raditz, "it can't be any good if I haven't been there three times already."

"Raditz, you visiting any club three times makes them shut down voluntarily. You drive away all their female customers with your incessant humping."

The cab driver laughed, thin and reedy, and one of his branch-like limbs extended towards Vegeta, "this one, he's funny!"

"See Raditz, even the driver knows what's up."

The elder Saiyan sighed and gently punched Vegeta's bare arm, "please go launch yourself into a nearby sun, Your Highness."

The driver cracked up laughing again. Twenty five minutes in the cab flew by when Vegeta and Raditz exchanged insults, the driver rating them based on how funny they were and how severe they became. When they pulled up to a derelict-looking building with one crooked, flickering neon sign spelling out "B—Z-A-R—-", Raditz' upper lip curled in disgust and he sneered at the driver, "I told you I hadn't heard of it for a reason!"

"Appearances are deceiving, my friend. May I suggest you take the staircase located on the right side of the building? You'll find the interior much more welcoming."

Raditz hopped out of the vehicle and cautiously inspected the staircase. When he heard the ceaseless throb of electronic music and smelled bittersweet smoke seeping through the door, he realized the driver hadn't been lying about this strange venue after all. He waved to his younger partner, who sent the payment through to the partner and exited the vehicle as quickly as he could manage.

They descended into what may have been the ___wildest _and certainly rawest space they'd ever encountered: Club Bizarre turned out to be a massive basement with black walls, mirrored balls hanging from the ceiling, and a non-stop light show that could entrance even the most sober men. Different species danced in cages suspended from the ceiling, and it seemed as though most of the patrons were stripped down to the bare minimum of clothing. When a tall woman with bright blue skin and black tape covering the nipples on all six of her breasts very deliberately brushed against Raditz' arm as she passed, both Saiyans realized they'd come to the right place.

"Holy fuck!" Raditz' mouth hung open, taking in the spectacle of thousands of bodies moving on the dancefloor. "This is crazy! I can't believe I didn't know about this place!"

"You do now," Vegeta self-consciously pulled down the waistband of his leggings low on his hips.

They stuck close to the bar at the side of the club, watching the crowd and trying to spot anybody that could present trouble. After his third bottle of beer, Raditz shifted uncomfortably and grimaced at nobody in particular. "I have to take a piss," the tall Saiyan slid off his stool and moved toward a neon green sign at the far end of the club.

An opportunity to relive his bladder suddenly became appealing to Vegeta, and he drained his beer in a single gulp before catching up with Raditz.

The washrooms turned out to be an even more debauched extension of the club; multicoloured smoke mixed in the air to form a rosy haze that softened harsh faces and added mystery to the more beautiful creatures surrounding Vegeta. The bathroom's lighting changed from blue to pink to green and back again every thirty seconds. There were two slim, teal-skinned bodies pressed together against a wall at his left, their hips rocking in time to the distorted music, and when one of them leaned over to kiss the Saiyan's neck, he turned to them and returned the affection to both. He couldn't determine their gender, and in that moment, he didn't care so as long as they kept touching him in ways that produced that wonderful tingle he'd started experiencing so often.

A tall, androgynous figure with a powerful frame and soft green skin approached Vegeta and pulled him away from the couple, tilted his chin back with a hand that threatened to crush bones if he resisted, and jammed the open top of a small glass vial into his right nostril. Startled, Vegeta snorted a sizable amount of something that tasted medicinal as it coated his sinuses and began to drip down the back of his throat. His heart started to beat faster and he found himself breathing through clenched teeth, lips curled back into an involuntary, manic grin. He felt his whole body go pleasantly numb.

A dark green tongue darted out and traced his lips and grazed against his sharp teeth just once before vanishing back into its owner's mouth. Vegeta pulled away and eyed the creature from head to toe, and the creeping sense of horror made his heart pound.

"What the fuck? Zarbon?! Molesting ___and_ drugging me in the same night? Somebody's ambitious…"

"You should be laying low, Vegeta. Just don't get in trouble and neither of us were here tonight. Do you understand what I'm saying, monkey?"

"Fair enough," Vegeta wiped his nose, "but where do I get more of that stuff?"

"Look for a pale man with bright red hair and black clothing. He's by the bar. But you didn't hear any of that from me," Zarbon turned on his heel and made his way out of the washroom.

After several stunned seconds, Vegeta regained enough sense to remember he wanted to empty his bladder, and eventually found a free urinal.

As the prince attempted to wash his hands, he caught his reflection in the mirror and burst into laughter when he recognized his own dilated pupils and flushed cheeks. He could swear the smoke hanging in the air was taking on a life of its own. "Wow," he wiped his damp hands on his leggings, "this is weird!"

Raditz came stumbling out of a stall and watched Vegeta laughing at his own reflection with a bemused expression on his own face. "Looks like somebody gave you a party favour!"

Vegeta giggled and wiped his nose. "Yeah, Zarbon gave me something weird, and he said we're both gonna… uh, both gonna… pretend he isn't here!"

The elder Saiyan realized Vegeta was high and may have been given something that would last for hours. Zarbon may have even given him something that could produce aggressive behaviour. Raditz would have to stay close by, and he didn't want a repeat of Vegeta's ___garami_.

"Raditz! Raditz! Zarbon said some guy wearing black has more of this stuff. We should get some," the younger Saiyan hooked an arm around Raditz' waist and tried to guide the larger Saiyan towards the bathroom's exit.

Damn it, I'm going to have to keep a close eye on this crazy bastard yet again, thought Raditz.

"Eh, let it work through your system before doing more, Vegeta. How about I get a vial and you find a free booth and stay put until I get back, okay? Just drink water!"

"Why? Weren't we drinking beer?"

"Water enhances the high," Raditz lied.

"Whatever," Vegeta turned on his heel and vanished into the crowd.

* * *

Raditz did find the pale dealer, and he purchased three vials of the same powder Vegeta had been given.

"Hey, out of curiosity, what's a good starter dose?"

"Use this," the dealer produced a slender metal utensil that could scoop up perhaps a quarter teaspoon of the powder, "you only need a small dose, even a big guy like you. The vial has about ten standard doses."

"Can you mix it with alcohol?" He began to wonder just how much Vegeta had been given.

"I won't say no, my friend, but I warn you to very cautious. Some have become very aggressive after consuming alcohol."

Vegeta had brushed off Raditz' warning to stick with water, and Raditz' thoughts turned to Vegeta drinking beer or already being in the midst of an overdose.

"Right. Yeah. Okay. Thanks, man," the tall Saiyan stashed the vials in a hidden pocket inside the shaft of his left boot and started scanning the crowd for Vegeta, winding his way through the mess of bodies on the dancefloor.

When he reached the seating area, Raditz felt cold sweat dampening the roots of his hair when he couldn't spot Vegeta.

"I should have stayed at home…"


End file.
